A/N: All right, I wrote this all at once because I have a bad habit of not
finishing my stories. So, unless anyone wants a continuation (and I do have
some ideas) this will be a one part thing.
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything in this story. Not the characters, the town, the café, or instant messaging.
Summary: This one's got lots of pairings. It starts off as a L/P/B triangle, but it's mostly L/B. There's also N/H and L/H. Yep, lots of pairings. It starts off after the last episode, With Arms Outstretched, and it's basically Luke choosing between Brooke and Peyton. It also has a lot of sub-plots.
A/N: PLEASE REVIEW!! Also, if you're reviewing just to say it sucked, please don't. I'll take good reviews and constructive criticism. Anyway, read on!
Words Can't Explain It
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Brooke's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I looked back and forth between the two people I cared most about at the moment. Peyton stared at Lucas for a second more, and then rushed out the door. It was then that I realized my best friend was more important to me than any boy could ever be. I brushed past Lucas and ran out the door. Peyton was already halfway down the street and I ran as fast as I could to catch up.
"Peyton!" I yelled. She turned around hesitantly, and her eyes were puffy and red from crying. "I'm so sorry," I began, but she cut me off.
"Cut the bull, Brooke. You and I both know that you aren't really sorry. You've been after Lucas ever since you first laid eyes on him. Fine, whatever. You can have him." Peyton turned on her heel and stomped off to her house.
I stared at her retreating form. Is that really what she thinks of me? I wondered. I mean, I know I could be mean sometimes, but Peyton was my best friend in the whole world. She was the only person I could count on for anything. Until now, that is.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Peyton's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I jammed the key into the lock and opened up my front door. Looking at the phone, I realized there were three new messages. As I played them, I noticed Brooke must have been calling from her cell phone because the sound quality was terrible. It sounded like she was crying, but I couldn't tell; it could have been the static. I didn't bother listening to the whole message, so I pressed delete and the second message began. It was from Lucas. He said something about how he'd decided to move on because he thought I'd done the same, and that he was really sorry. Whatever. Delete. The last message I was surprised to hear, but excited all the same.
"Hey, honey, it's dad. I just flew back in town and I'll be there in a few. I'm bringing my business partner Jole with me, so try to have the house looking remotely clean. See you soon!"
I deleted the message from my father and ran upstairs, putting her coat and bag away. I then went downstairs and began grabbing laundry-clean or dirty, I couldn't tell-and throwing it in the wash. Once I had the house looking sort of clean, although definitely not spotless, I went into the bathroom and splashed my face with water. I looked horrible. Tear streaks stained my face and my eyes were filled with hurt and anger. I realized I had forgotten about the little incident with myself, Lucas and Brooke, and it all came flooding back. My best friend betrayed me. Sure, I wasn't exactly upfront about my feelings for Lucas with her or anyone else for that matter, but I figured since she'd known me for so long, she'd have realized that every time I told her Lucas and I were just friends, she'd know that I was lying.
Just as I was drying off my face, I heard the front door open. My father's voice bellowed in the quiet house, and I checked my reflection once again before walking to the door to greet my father and his guest.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Lucas' POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It had been three hours since Peyton left my house. Brooke had come back, only to grab her stuff and then she had left as quickly as she came. The house was now dead silent, except for the thoughts pounding in my head. I knew I'd really hurt Peyton, and seeing Peyton hurt had hurt Brooke, which had hurt me and.Well, you get the picture. I was a wreck, and I knew that now of all times, I needed my best friend.
I grabbed my coat and headed over to Haley's, using my spare key to unlock the door and quietly slip inside.
I tip-toed up the stairs and opened her bedroom door. The lights were off and it was dark. I wondered if this was a good idea, since clearly she was already asleep. I flipped on the bedside lamp and nearly yelped at what I saw. I grabbed Nathan by the collar of his shirt and threw him up against the wall, waking him up royally. He cursed, and then noticed it was me. Haley jumped out of bed, surprised at the sudden noise.
"What the hell is going on here?" she screamed. I guess her parents weren't home.
"You tell me!" I screamed back, not taking my eyes off of Nathan.
"Hey, back off," Nathan told me. I was officially very, very pissed off.
I finally turned around and faced Haley, worry evident on her face. "What are you doing? He's going to take advantage of you, he will!"
"Luke.."
"You know, I think I'm gonna go." Nathan said and headed for the door. I slammed him back on the wall and Haley grabbed my arm, pulling me away from her boyfriend.
"You're not going anywhere." I stated to Nathan.
"Luke, let him go. Nathan, I'll call you later, okay?"
"Okay."
I watched with disgust as Nathan gave Haley a quick peck on the cheek, and retreated from the room. A minute later I heard the front door slam shut and I turned to look at Haley.
"Lucas, I can explain,"
"Oh, please, enlighten me. Tell me why Nathan Scott was spending the night in your house. In your room. In your bed!"
"He needed help! He needed me." Haley said, and I could tell she was starting to get angry with me.
"He needed sex," I told her.
"He didn't try anything! Luke, I'm sorry. I know how you feel about him, but that's not what I feel. I know him better than you do, and he's not as bad as you make him out to be. I care about him, and I couldn't stand to see him so scared."
"Scared? Of what?"
"Scared of losing his life. Everything is going down the drain for him, and he needs someone he can count on. I want to be there for him. I need to be there for him."
I looked between Haley and the door, and chose the door. "Whatever." I said, walking out of the room and the house.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Brooke's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next day I woke up early. I'd called Peyton about five times already. The first three times, nobody answered-damn the caller ID-and the fourth time her father answered and told me she was asleep. Finally, a second man answered the phone and told me that Peyton didn't want to talk to anybody. I wondered who this man was, but that thought soon left my memory as I began to think of way how I could make this up to Peyton. Clearly, she was very mad at me, and a simple apology was not going to work.
I decided to go to the store and buy her some things which I knew she liked. I bought a few punk-rock CD's, and a card. It was empty on the inside, and on the front it was a cute little puppy dog that I decided looked like he was begging for forgiveness. I paid for the items and headed to the park. I sat down on the bench and pulled out a pen from my purse. Grabbing the card, I began to write what I was feeling inside of it.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Peyton's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I trudged down the stairs in jeans and a sweatshirt and grabbed the box of cheerios from the pantry. I pulled out a bowl and some milk and poured myself some cereal. Jole walked into the kitchen and gave me a small smile before taking an apple from the fridge.
"A little late for breakfast, isn't it?" he said.
"Yeah, well, it's Christmas break. Time no longer matters."
Jole chuckled and stepped outside the kitchen, but I called him back. "Jole?"
"Yeah?" he said, sitting down at the table.
"Have you ever had someone betray you?"
"Of course. Why?"
"I caught my best friend with this guy last night. The guy just happens to be the one who I want to be with, but I guess he's moved on."
"And this best friend would be Brooke, right?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"She only called a few dozen times this morning."
I smiled and looked down at my cereal, which was getting soggy.
"If I were you," said Jole, " I'd ask myself what matters more. A boy or your best friend? What do you think?"
I continued my staring contest with the bowl of cereal silently. A few knocks on the door broke my concentration, and I saw Brooke walking away from my house quickly. I got up and opened the front door, kneeling down to pick up a wrapped present and a card tucked inside an envelope. I was halfway to the stairs when I realized my cereal was still on the table, probably now sour from the milk.
"It's okay. I'll get it." Jole told me, and I walked upstairs. Closing my bedroom door, I sat down in front of the computer, turning on my webcam. I unwrapped the box and opened it, pulling out several CD's. One was the new REM CD, which I had told Brooke I wanted. I smiled a bit but I still wasn't going to forgive her. Then I pulled out the card, which had an adorable puppy on the front. I opened up the card and began to read:
Dear Peyton,
Words can't express how incredibly sorry I am. You are my best friend in the whole world, but I know I hurt you a lot last night. I don't expect this to make you forgive me, I don't expect anything to make you forgive me, but just know how much you mean to me. To me, you're more important than any boy, and if it'll save our friendship, I'll gladly toss Lucas. No matter how much he means to me, you mean more and you always will. Once again, I am so sorry.
Love, Your Best Friend Forever (hopefully),
Brooke
My eyes began to well up with tears and I stared into the computer screen. I grabbed a felt marker and a blank piece of paper and began writing.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Brooke's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I looked at the computer screen and smiled when Peyton looked at the CD's and the card. A confused expression crossed my face as I saw her take a piece of paper and begin writing. Great, I thought, she's probably going to tell me to bug off.
She held up the paper to the screen and I nearly jumped with joy (as corny as that sounds) when I read what it said. I thick, black felt it read:
If you're reading this, Brooke, I forgive you! We need to talk.
I picked up the phone and dialed Peyton's familiar number. She answered quickly and we decided to meet at Karen's Café to talk.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Lucas' POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I walked through the streets quietly, carefully keeping my head down so as not to show my red eyes. Not only had I hurt Brooke and Peyton, now I'd hurt Haley, too. But she deserved it! So did Nathan. Nathan.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Nathan's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I looked up at Haley and smiled. God, she was beautiful. I noticed my mom look down the counter at us, and I felt a blush creep up my face. Then Lucas slammed open the door and stomped up to the counter, grabbing me once again by the collar of my shirt. Haley pulled Lucas away before he did any damage, and my mom ran up to me.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, mom. Obviously there's something wacked in his head, though." I glared at Lucas.
"You stay away from Haley!" he yelled at me. "Stay away from her or I'll kill you!"
"Luke, come on, let's go outside. Come on! Luke, please!" Haley begged and practically dragged Lucas outside.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Haley's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I grabbed Lucas' arm and pulled him outside, closing the door behind us. He kept glaring at Nathan through the glass window, so I dragged him around the corner.
"What do you think you're doing?!" I yelled in his face after a few moments of awkward silence.
"I won't let him hurt you, Haley,"
"He's not going to! I can take care of myself, you know."
Lucas looked down at the ground and suddenly became fascinated with his shoes.
I pulled his chin up and looked him straight in the eye. "Luke, you know that if Nathan ever did anything to hurt me, you'd be the first to know, right?"
He looked at me with worry in his eyes, "Good. I-good." He smiled and kissed my forehead, then stalked off.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Peyton's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I waltzed into the café, nervous and unsure of how to confront Brooke. We hadn't talked much on the phone, just decided a time and place to meet.
I sat down at a table in the corner and Deb walked up to me.
"Peyton, it's good to see you! What would you like?"
I told her what I wanted and she began writing everything down.
"So, how've you been?" she asked me.
I was about to reply but Brooke walked up behind Deb and slid in on the other side of the table. She looked a little nervous; I guess she felt the same way I did about the situation.
Haley walked into the café and up to Deb. "Did Nathan leave?" she asked. Deb nodded and Haley went into the back.
Deb finished writing down my order and took Brooke's, smiling as she walked away.
Brooke and I just looked at the table for a few minutes before I decided to break the silence.
"I'm sorry," I began, "I know you didn't mean to hurt me. And if Lucas means the same to you as he did to me, I must've hurt you too."
"The way you 'did' feel about him?" she asked me.
I looked her in the eye and saw a glimmer of hope in there. She really did care about Lucas.
"No, but it will be. I'll get over it."
"So." Brooke started, but stopped and seemed to be deciding on the right words.
"If you want, you can be with him. Just. try not to be too lovey-dovey around me, okay?"
"Who says he even still wants me? Now that he knows how you feel about him, he'll go back to you. I was just the rebound."
"No, you're not. The way he looked between you and me last night, I could tell he cares about us both. But I also know that it's hard for you to find a relationship with a guy, one that's real." Brooke smiled at me and we began to chat about unrelated things.
It wasn't normal yet, but it was a start.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Brooke's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After Peyton and I had lunch, I went over to Lucas' house. I might as well resolve things with him as well.
I knocked on the door and Lucas quickly opened up. No expression could be found on his face, neither happy nor sad, angry nor relieved. He gestured for me to come inside, so I did.
I didn't take off my coat and I didn't sit down; it was uncomfortable for the both of us. I was the first to speak.
"Look, Luke, I talked to Peyton today. We resolved things and I was hoping you and I could do the same. It's basically all up to you. I'm not trying to pit you against Peyton, but please don't take forever to decide. I don't think she can handle it. She's been through enough lately, and she needs closure. You can't keep giving her hope and taking it away. Just know that when you decide, both Peyton and I will understand. And I'll-"
I was cut off by Lucas. He suddenly rushed to me and brought my lips to his. The kiss only lasted mere seconds but it meant more than anything to me. Lucas pulled away and I slowly opened my eyes, surprised but happy. He smiled at me and I smiled back, pulling him in for another kiss. It wasn't like the one we shared at the bar, this one was different. It was more gentle, yet filled with even more passion and desire.
I decided to play a little more hard to get than I usually would, and I pulled out of Lucas' embrace.
"I should go," I said coyly, smiling at him the whole time. "I'll call you later." I pulled open the door and walked into the fresh air, wrapping my jacket closer to myself.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Peyton's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I sat behind my computer desk quietly, drawing a sketch of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York. My dad had told me earlier that he would be going there for a few days, and if I wanted to come than I could.
I looked over at a picture on my desk. My mother's beautiful blue eyes stared back at me. Christmas time always made me miss my mom, though not as much as the anniversary of her death. I thought about the old Christmas'. When I was little, my mom would make pancakes and sausages every morning on the day before Christmas. We'd spend all day driving around the town, looking at all the beautiful houses covered in lights and decorations. Then we'd come home, watch a movie with my dad, and I'd end up falling asleep halfway through. On Christmas Day my mom would wake me up, practically at dawn, to drink some hot chocolate and watch the Christmas specials on TV. If there weren't any good ones on, we'd pull out the dusty old tape of 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'.
I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me
I rummaged through the old boxes in my closet and took out the tape. It hadn't even been looked at since my mother's death, but I thought I was ready this year. I put the tape into my VCR and plopped back on my bed.
You used to captivate me
By your resonating mind
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Brooke's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I woke up in the middle of the night after having the craziest dream. Lucas and Haley were all over each other. I could only pray that this wasn't a premonition or something crazy like that. However, it seemed so real, I didn't know what to do. Since it was so late, I obviously couldn't call either Haley or Lucas, but maybe one of them would me online.
So I turned on my computer and logged onto the instant messenger as 'StrawberryChocolat617'. Peyton was on, but then her computer was always on so maybe she had just stayed logged on.
StrawberryChocolat617 says: Peyton? You there?
PunkChick91 says: Yep.
StrawberryChocolat617 says: Do you know Haley's email?
PunkChick91 says: Haley James?
StrawberryChocolat617 says: Yah.
PunkChick91 says: Uh, yeah, sure. It's. sweetiebear67@hotmail.com
StrawberryChocolat617 says: Thanks!
PunkChick91 says: No problem. You'll tell me later right?
StrawberryChocolat617 says: Yeah.
PunkChick91 says: Okay, bye!
StrawberryChocolat617 says: G'night!
I clicked on 'Add Contact' and typed in Haley's email. She was logged on!
HaleyBaby says: Hi, who is this?
StrawberryChocolat617 says: Brooke Davis.
HaleyBaby says: What do you want?
StrawberryChocolat617 says: Umm. Have you seen Lucas lately?
HaleyBaby says: Yeah. I saw him today. Why?
StrawberryChocolat617 says: Have you ever thought of him as anything other than just a friend?
HaleyBaby says: Why?
StrawberryChocolat617 says: I just. I was talking to Lucas earlier and I just woke up from a dream. It was about you and Lucas. I just don't want to get into something and end up with a broken heart because Lucas only has eyes for you.
HaleyBaby says: Don't worry. Luke and I are only friends. No matter what feelings I have or have had about him, we're only ever going to be friends. But I gotta go. Bye.
HaleyBaby has signed off.
I stared at the screen. So not only did Haley have feelings for Nathan, she also liked Lucas. Great. Just great.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Haley's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
What is wrong with me? I thought to myself. I had just told Brooke Davis that I liked Lucas as more than a friend. My life is officially over. She's going to tell Peyton, who's going to tell Lucas, who's going to confront me and God only knows how embarrassing that would be. But what about Nathan?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Peyton's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning was treacherous. After a long while of arguing, my dad finally convinced me to clean the house. He'd used the secret weapon: "If you don't clean the house, you're not coming to New York with me."
So far I'd cleaned all the bathrooms and vacuumed my room and the main floor, now it was time to tackle my closet. Ugh, this would take all day. I cleared the room of my computer and its desk, and began pulling boxes and bags out of the closet. This would take a while.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Lucas' POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I sat on the couch in my living room with Keith, yelling at the TV. We had began this ritual since my mom left for Italy, that every day when neither of us had anything to do, we'd sit and watch Jeopardy, Family Feud, and Wheel of Fortune. Or any other game shows where we could show our intelligence. Yeah right.
Anyway, we were about halfway through the second episode of Jeopardy when someone rang the doorbell. Keith and I got up, racing for the door, but I got there first. I opened it and there was Brooke.
"Hi," she said to me.
"Hi," I replied, and stepped onto the porch, closing the door behind me.
We both sat on the small bench outside and looked at each other for a moment before she leaned in and kissed me. We broke apart and smiled at each other.
"I'm glad I have you." I told her.
She smiled at me and said, "Me too. Words can't explain it."
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own anything in this story. Not the characters, the town, the café, or instant messaging.
Summary: This one's got lots of pairings. It starts off as a L/P/B triangle, but it's mostly L/B. There's also N/H and L/H. Yep, lots of pairings. It starts off after the last episode, With Arms Outstretched, and it's basically Luke choosing between Brooke and Peyton. It also has a lot of sub-plots.
A/N: PLEASE REVIEW!! Also, if you're reviewing just to say it sucked, please don't. I'll take good reviews and constructive criticism. Anyway, read on!
Words Can't Explain It
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Brooke's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I looked back and forth between the two people I cared most about at the moment. Peyton stared at Lucas for a second more, and then rushed out the door. It was then that I realized my best friend was more important to me than any boy could ever be. I brushed past Lucas and ran out the door. Peyton was already halfway down the street and I ran as fast as I could to catch up.
"Peyton!" I yelled. She turned around hesitantly, and her eyes were puffy and red from crying. "I'm so sorry," I began, but she cut me off.
"Cut the bull, Brooke. You and I both know that you aren't really sorry. You've been after Lucas ever since you first laid eyes on him. Fine, whatever. You can have him." Peyton turned on her heel and stomped off to her house.
I stared at her retreating form. Is that really what she thinks of me? I wondered. I mean, I know I could be mean sometimes, but Peyton was my best friend in the whole world. She was the only person I could count on for anything. Until now, that is.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Peyton's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I jammed the key into the lock and opened up my front door. Looking at the phone, I realized there were three new messages. As I played them, I noticed Brooke must have been calling from her cell phone because the sound quality was terrible. It sounded like she was crying, but I couldn't tell; it could have been the static. I didn't bother listening to the whole message, so I pressed delete and the second message began. It was from Lucas. He said something about how he'd decided to move on because he thought I'd done the same, and that he was really sorry. Whatever. Delete. The last message I was surprised to hear, but excited all the same.
"Hey, honey, it's dad. I just flew back in town and I'll be there in a few. I'm bringing my business partner Jole with me, so try to have the house looking remotely clean. See you soon!"
I deleted the message from my father and ran upstairs, putting her coat and bag away. I then went downstairs and began grabbing laundry-clean or dirty, I couldn't tell-and throwing it in the wash. Once I had the house looking sort of clean, although definitely not spotless, I went into the bathroom and splashed my face with water. I looked horrible. Tear streaks stained my face and my eyes were filled with hurt and anger. I realized I had forgotten about the little incident with myself, Lucas and Brooke, and it all came flooding back. My best friend betrayed me. Sure, I wasn't exactly upfront about my feelings for Lucas with her or anyone else for that matter, but I figured since she'd known me for so long, she'd have realized that every time I told her Lucas and I were just friends, she'd know that I was lying.
Just as I was drying off my face, I heard the front door open. My father's voice bellowed in the quiet house, and I checked my reflection once again before walking to the door to greet my father and his guest.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Lucas' POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It had been three hours since Peyton left my house. Brooke had come back, only to grab her stuff and then she had left as quickly as she came. The house was now dead silent, except for the thoughts pounding in my head. I knew I'd really hurt Peyton, and seeing Peyton hurt had hurt Brooke, which had hurt me and.Well, you get the picture. I was a wreck, and I knew that now of all times, I needed my best friend.
I grabbed my coat and headed over to Haley's, using my spare key to unlock the door and quietly slip inside.
I tip-toed up the stairs and opened her bedroom door. The lights were off and it was dark. I wondered if this was a good idea, since clearly she was already asleep. I flipped on the bedside lamp and nearly yelped at what I saw. I grabbed Nathan by the collar of his shirt and threw him up against the wall, waking him up royally. He cursed, and then noticed it was me. Haley jumped out of bed, surprised at the sudden noise.
"What the hell is going on here?" she screamed. I guess her parents weren't home.
"You tell me!" I screamed back, not taking my eyes off of Nathan.
"Hey, back off," Nathan told me. I was officially very, very pissed off.
I finally turned around and faced Haley, worry evident on her face. "What are you doing? He's going to take advantage of you, he will!"
"Luke.."
"You know, I think I'm gonna go." Nathan said and headed for the door. I slammed him back on the wall and Haley grabbed my arm, pulling me away from her boyfriend.
"You're not going anywhere." I stated to Nathan.
"Luke, let him go. Nathan, I'll call you later, okay?"
"Okay."
I watched with disgust as Nathan gave Haley a quick peck on the cheek, and retreated from the room. A minute later I heard the front door slam shut and I turned to look at Haley.
"Lucas, I can explain,"
"Oh, please, enlighten me. Tell me why Nathan Scott was spending the night in your house. In your room. In your bed!"
"He needed help! He needed me." Haley said, and I could tell she was starting to get angry with me.
"He needed sex," I told her.
"He didn't try anything! Luke, I'm sorry. I know how you feel about him, but that's not what I feel. I know him better than you do, and he's not as bad as you make him out to be. I care about him, and I couldn't stand to see him so scared."
"Scared? Of what?"
"Scared of losing his life. Everything is going down the drain for him, and he needs someone he can count on. I want to be there for him. I need to be there for him."
I looked between Haley and the door, and chose the door. "Whatever." I said, walking out of the room and the house.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Brooke's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next day I woke up early. I'd called Peyton about five times already. The first three times, nobody answered-damn the caller ID-and the fourth time her father answered and told me she was asleep. Finally, a second man answered the phone and told me that Peyton didn't want to talk to anybody. I wondered who this man was, but that thought soon left my memory as I began to think of way how I could make this up to Peyton. Clearly, she was very mad at me, and a simple apology was not going to work.
I decided to go to the store and buy her some things which I knew she liked. I bought a few punk-rock CD's, and a card. It was empty on the inside, and on the front it was a cute little puppy dog that I decided looked like he was begging for forgiveness. I paid for the items and headed to the park. I sat down on the bench and pulled out a pen from my purse. Grabbing the card, I began to write what I was feeling inside of it.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Peyton's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I trudged down the stairs in jeans and a sweatshirt and grabbed the box of cheerios from the pantry. I pulled out a bowl and some milk and poured myself some cereal. Jole walked into the kitchen and gave me a small smile before taking an apple from the fridge.
"A little late for breakfast, isn't it?" he said.
"Yeah, well, it's Christmas break. Time no longer matters."
Jole chuckled and stepped outside the kitchen, but I called him back. "Jole?"
"Yeah?" he said, sitting down at the table.
"Have you ever had someone betray you?"
"Of course. Why?"
"I caught my best friend with this guy last night. The guy just happens to be the one who I want to be with, but I guess he's moved on."
"And this best friend would be Brooke, right?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"She only called a few dozen times this morning."
I smiled and looked down at my cereal, which was getting soggy.
"If I were you," said Jole, " I'd ask myself what matters more. A boy or your best friend? What do you think?"
I continued my staring contest with the bowl of cereal silently. A few knocks on the door broke my concentration, and I saw Brooke walking away from my house quickly. I got up and opened the front door, kneeling down to pick up a wrapped present and a card tucked inside an envelope. I was halfway to the stairs when I realized my cereal was still on the table, probably now sour from the milk.
"It's okay. I'll get it." Jole told me, and I walked upstairs. Closing my bedroom door, I sat down in front of the computer, turning on my webcam. I unwrapped the box and opened it, pulling out several CD's. One was the new REM CD, which I had told Brooke I wanted. I smiled a bit but I still wasn't going to forgive her. Then I pulled out the card, which had an adorable puppy on the front. I opened up the card and began to read:
Dear Peyton,
Words can't express how incredibly sorry I am. You are my best friend in the whole world, but I know I hurt you a lot last night. I don't expect this to make you forgive me, I don't expect anything to make you forgive me, but just know how much you mean to me. To me, you're more important than any boy, and if it'll save our friendship, I'll gladly toss Lucas. No matter how much he means to me, you mean more and you always will. Once again, I am so sorry.
Love, Your Best Friend Forever (hopefully),
Brooke
My eyes began to well up with tears and I stared into the computer screen. I grabbed a felt marker and a blank piece of paper and began writing.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Brooke's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I looked at the computer screen and smiled when Peyton looked at the CD's and the card. A confused expression crossed my face as I saw her take a piece of paper and begin writing. Great, I thought, she's probably going to tell me to bug off.
She held up the paper to the screen and I nearly jumped with joy (as corny as that sounds) when I read what it said. I thick, black felt it read:
If you're reading this, Brooke, I forgive you! We need to talk.
I picked up the phone and dialed Peyton's familiar number. She answered quickly and we decided to meet at Karen's Café to talk.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Lucas' POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I walked through the streets quietly, carefully keeping my head down so as not to show my red eyes. Not only had I hurt Brooke and Peyton, now I'd hurt Haley, too. But she deserved it! So did Nathan. Nathan.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Nathan's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I looked up at Haley and smiled. God, she was beautiful. I noticed my mom look down the counter at us, and I felt a blush creep up my face. Then Lucas slammed open the door and stomped up to the counter, grabbing me once again by the collar of my shirt. Haley pulled Lucas away before he did any damage, and my mom ran up to me.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, mom. Obviously there's something wacked in his head, though." I glared at Lucas.
"You stay away from Haley!" he yelled at me. "Stay away from her or I'll kill you!"
"Luke, come on, let's go outside. Come on! Luke, please!" Haley begged and practically dragged Lucas outside.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Haley's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I grabbed Lucas' arm and pulled him outside, closing the door behind us. He kept glaring at Nathan through the glass window, so I dragged him around the corner.
"What do you think you're doing?!" I yelled in his face after a few moments of awkward silence.
"I won't let him hurt you, Haley,"
"He's not going to! I can take care of myself, you know."
Lucas looked down at the ground and suddenly became fascinated with his shoes.
I pulled his chin up and looked him straight in the eye. "Luke, you know that if Nathan ever did anything to hurt me, you'd be the first to know, right?"
He looked at me with worry in his eyes, "Good. I-good." He smiled and kissed my forehead, then stalked off.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Peyton's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I waltzed into the café, nervous and unsure of how to confront Brooke. We hadn't talked much on the phone, just decided a time and place to meet.
I sat down at a table in the corner and Deb walked up to me.
"Peyton, it's good to see you! What would you like?"
I told her what I wanted and she began writing everything down.
"So, how've you been?" she asked me.
I was about to reply but Brooke walked up behind Deb and slid in on the other side of the table. She looked a little nervous; I guess she felt the same way I did about the situation.
Haley walked into the café and up to Deb. "Did Nathan leave?" she asked. Deb nodded and Haley went into the back.
Deb finished writing down my order and took Brooke's, smiling as she walked away.
Brooke and I just looked at the table for a few minutes before I decided to break the silence.
"I'm sorry," I began, "I know you didn't mean to hurt me. And if Lucas means the same to you as he did to me, I must've hurt you too."
"The way you 'did' feel about him?" she asked me.
I looked her in the eye and saw a glimmer of hope in there. She really did care about Lucas.
"No, but it will be. I'll get over it."
"So." Brooke started, but stopped and seemed to be deciding on the right words.
"If you want, you can be with him. Just. try not to be too lovey-dovey around me, okay?"
"Who says he even still wants me? Now that he knows how you feel about him, he'll go back to you. I was just the rebound."
"No, you're not. The way he looked between you and me last night, I could tell he cares about us both. But I also know that it's hard for you to find a relationship with a guy, one that's real." Brooke smiled at me and we began to chat about unrelated things.
It wasn't normal yet, but it was a start.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Brooke's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After Peyton and I had lunch, I went over to Lucas' house. I might as well resolve things with him as well.
I knocked on the door and Lucas quickly opened up. No expression could be found on his face, neither happy nor sad, angry nor relieved. He gestured for me to come inside, so I did.
I didn't take off my coat and I didn't sit down; it was uncomfortable for the both of us. I was the first to speak.
"Look, Luke, I talked to Peyton today. We resolved things and I was hoping you and I could do the same. It's basically all up to you. I'm not trying to pit you against Peyton, but please don't take forever to decide. I don't think she can handle it. She's been through enough lately, and she needs closure. You can't keep giving her hope and taking it away. Just know that when you decide, both Peyton and I will understand. And I'll-"
I was cut off by Lucas. He suddenly rushed to me and brought my lips to his. The kiss only lasted mere seconds but it meant more than anything to me. Lucas pulled away and I slowly opened my eyes, surprised but happy. He smiled at me and I smiled back, pulling him in for another kiss. It wasn't like the one we shared at the bar, this one was different. It was more gentle, yet filled with even more passion and desire.
I decided to play a little more hard to get than I usually would, and I pulled out of Lucas' embrace.
"I should go," I said coyly, smiling at him the whole time. "I'll call you later." I pulled open the door and walked into the fresh air, wrapping my jacket closer to myself.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Peyton's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I sat behind my computer desk quietly, drawing a sketch of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York. My dad had told me earlier that he would be going there for a few days, and if I wanted to come than I could.
I looked over at a picture on my desk. My mother's beautiful blue eyes stared back at me. Christmas time always made me miss my mom, though not as much as the anniversary of her death. I thought about the old Christmas'. When I was little, my mom would make pancakes and sausages every morning on the day before Christmas. We'd spend all day driving around the town, looking at all the beautiful houses covered in lights and decorations. Then we'd come home, watch a movie with my dad, and I'd end up falling asleep halfway through. On Christmas Day my mom would wake me up, practically at dawn, to drink some hot chocolate and watch the Christmas specials on TV. If there weren't any good ones on, we'd pull out the dusty old tape of 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'.
I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me
I rummaged through the old boxes in my closet and took out the tape. It hadn't even been looked at since my mother's death, but I thought I was ready this year. I put the tape into my VCR and plopped back on my bed.
You used to captivate me
By your resonating mind
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Brooke's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I woke up in the middle of the night after having the craziest dream. Lucas and Haley were all over each other. I could only pray that this wasn't a premonition or something crazy like that. However, it seemed so real, I didn't know what to do. Since it was so late, I obviously couldn't call either Haley or Lucas, but maybe one of them would me online.
So I turned on my computer and logged onto the instant messenger as 'StrawberryChocolat617'. Peyton was on, but then her computer was always on so maybe she had just stayed logged on.
StrawberryChocolat617 says: Peyton? You there?
PunkChick91 says: Yep.
StrawberryChocolat617 says: Do you know Haley's email?
PunkChick91 says: Haley James?
StrawberryChocolat617 says: Yah.
PunkChick91 says: Uh, yeah, sure. It's. sweetiebear67@hotmail.com
StrawberryChocolat617 says: Thanks!
PunkChick91 says: No problem. You'll tell me later right?
StrawberryChocolat617 says: Yeah.
PunkChick91 says: Okay, bye!
StrawberryChocolat617 says: G'night!
I clicked on 'Add Contact' and typed in Haley's email. She was logged on!
HaleyBaby says: Hi, who is this?
StrawberryChocolat617 says: Brooke Davis.
HaleyBaby says: What do you want?
StrawberryChocolat617 says: Umm. Have you seen Lucas lately?
HaleyBaby says: Yeah. I saw him today. Why?
StrawberryChocolat617 says: Have you ever thought of him as anything other than just a friend?
HaleyBaby says: Why?
StrawberryChocolat617 says: I just. I was talking to Lucas earlier and I just woke up from a dream. It was about you and Lucas. I just don't want to get into something and end up with a broken heart because Lucas only has eyes for you.
HaleyBaby says: Don't worry. Luke and I are only friends. No matter what feelings I have or have had about him, we're only ever going to be friends. But I gotta go. Bye.
HaleyBaby has signed off.
I stared at the screen. So not only did Haley have feelings for Nathan, she also liked Lucas. Great. Just great.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Haley's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
What is wrong with me? I thought to myself. I had just told Brooke Davis that I liked Lucas as more than a friend. My life is officially over. She's going to tell Peyton, who's going to tell Lucas, who's going to confront me and God only knows how embarrassing that would be. But what about Nathan?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Peyton's POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning was treacherous. After a long while of arguing, my dad finally convinced me to clean the house. He'd used the secret weapon: "If you don't clean the house, you're not coming to New York with me."
So far I'd cleaned all the bathrooms and vacuumed my room and the main floor, now it was time to tackle my closet. Ugh, this would take all day. I cleared the room of my computer and its desk, and began pulling boxes and bags out of the closet. This would take a while.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*Lucas' POV*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I sat on the couch in my living room with Keith, yelling at the TV. We had began this ritual since my mom left for Italy, that every day when neither of us had anything to do, we'd sit and watch Jeopardy, Family Feud, and Wheel of Fortune. Or any other game shows where we could show our intelligence. Yeah right.
Anyway, we were about halfway through the second episode of Jeopardy when someone rang the doorbell. Keith and I got up, racing for the door, but I got there first. I opened it and there was Brooke.
"Hi," she said to me.
"Hi," I replied, and stepped onto the porch, closing the door behind me.
We both sat on the small bench outside and looked at each other for a moment before she leaned in and kissed me. We broke apart and smiled at each other.
"I'm glad I have you." I told her.
She smiled at me and said, "Me too. Words can't explain it."